LCBR - is there a PC available?

[nwflyboy]

We're leaving for a week at LCBR in early March and I'm trying to figure out how I'll be managing the video footage (and some still photos) that I'll be shooting.

I have a simple setup, not a big expensive photo rig. I'll be shooting video on a Canon Vixia HF200, which records in AVCHD format on SD HC cards. I need a way to offload the day's video from the card every night. I have a compact external hard drive (USB and Firewire) that would do the trick nicely, but would need a computer to do the transfer (I'm not currently planning to bring a laptop - I'd rather not just to avoid lugging more gear, although in a pinch I could).

Question: is there a PC available for guest use at LCBR?

I see they have a"photo center" where they charge guests for transferring photos ("Media card transfers to CD $10 per card/stick"). I don't need someone to do that for me. What I need is to be able to use a PC (or Mac) for about 5 minutes every evening: sit down, connect my external hard drive, connect my card reader, copy files from the card to the external hard drive, unplug all and go. The computer would need to have a USB (preferably USB2) or Firewire port (I have the external hard drive, cables and card reader). And I really don't want to have to pay $10 every time I do it.

Does anyone know if LCBR has a PC available that I could use for this purpose? If not, I might have to schlepp along a laptop that I'd rather leave at home.

Thanks.

 

[billinwilliamston]

I may be paranoid, but I wouldn't let someone I didn't know very well within 10 feet of any PC I have to support with a USB hard drive or a card reader. The chances for mischief are way too great.

 

[nwflyboy]

With all due respect - you are indeed paranoid, methinks excessively so in this case.

It's a very common practice at many resorts, hotels, and other places that cater to travelers to have a computer available for use by guests, to get on the internet, etc. I've travelled all around the world and it's pretty standard - can't think of too many places I've stayed in the past 5 years that didn't have this. And I've never seen been anybody or anything to stop someone from plugging in a USB flash drive.

Sure, there's potential for mischief when others connect external media to a windows PC, but no more than when people surf sketchy internet sites. Some "internet cafe" businesses take steps to block access to external media, but in my experience a shared internet PC at a resort doesn't bother with that (there's usually nobody around who even understands the thing). While your concerns are reasonable in a corporate environment, I think they're a bit off the mark (and frankly a bit unrealistic) in this case for resort guests.

And now, back to our originally scheduled thread....

 

[deco_martini]

Last time i was there, there was a PC available, with fees.

I disabled about 10 programs guests had installed that ran in the background.......

Just doing my part for the next guy. I would be wary of typing in anything since a keylogger could be running.

 

[shawrg]

When I was there in 2008 there was a photo center adjacent to the dive shop that provide data transfer services as you mention. In addition, they provided a single computer in a small room in the lobby for guests to use for a fee. I believe it's intended use is for internet connection but, perhaps it could be used to connect your card reader. I would contact them & verify their current policy/computer hardware availability for guests.

 

[Becca_007]

I saw the computer for guests but never had any use for it. We do a lot of photography and I can't imagine traveling without my own computer. They're great for entertainment on the plane and in the airports too. I say take the laptop or a netbook.

 

[nwflyboy]

If I do break down and take the laptop with me...is the purported wifi in the rooms reasonably usable?

 

[fisheater]

I had no problem at all with WiFi when I was there in Jan. '09.

 

[carriemak]

The WIFI worked even around the pool area for us!

 

[Becca_007]

I had no problem at all with WiFi when I was there in Jan. '09.

Seriously? We had tons of wifi trouble during our recent Jan 31 - Feb 6 stay. I managed to get some pictures to upload but it was a constant chore. The smarter half looked at their setup (with his computer) and found they were using all the same channels and that's what was causing the problem. Maybe you were in area where their conflicting signals didn't overlap?